Learning Theory Flashcards
Fixed Interval
A fixed interval schedule is when a dog is reinforced for a behavior after a set amount of time has passed. For example, while teaching a down-stay you reward the dog every five seconds.
Rate of response for fixed interval
Rate of response can be poor as there is no incentive to do extra work, the reward will always be the same. Rate of response should increase closer to reward time.
Emitted behavior
A behavior that a dog voluntarily offers on its own. Used in operant conditioning.
Antecedent
A stimulus present in the environment before the behavior. Verbal cue, sight of another dog, doorbell.
What are the four stages of learning?
Acquisition, fluency, generalization, maintenance
What are the pros and cons of luring?
Pros - easy way to get a behavior and builds in a visual cue
Cons - can create a dog that relies on the presence of food to perform a behavior
Negative punishment
Removing something desirable to decrease the likelihood of a behavior. For example, ignoring a dog that is jumping.
Desensitization
Presenting a stimulus at a low enough level that the dog can stay under threshold and not respond to it.
Elicited behavior
Prompted by luring or molding
Cons of punishment
Learned irrelevance, owner directed aggression, learned helplessness. Can increase variability of behavior.
The premack principle
A high probability behavior, something the dog wants to do, can be used to reinforce a low probability behavior. For example, the dog must sit before going outside.
Cons of the premack principle
Unintended behavior chains. Make sure you allow the dog to make the choice to do the less likely behavior instead of asking them to do it so the behaviors become linked.
Prompting
Anything that follows the cue to help the dog learn the criteria.
Learned irrelevance
The dog has learned to ignore things that have or had no meaning to them or stops responding to a specific stimulus because it does not have a particular significance that is relevant to the dog. Also known as pre-exposure effect.
Primary reinforcer
Food, water, anything that is needed for survival. Food activates the parasympathetic nervous system which can calm the dog and make them less fearful, making the training experience enjoyable.
Continuous reinforcement (CRF)
A reinforcement schedule in which behavior is reinforced each time it occurs.
Extinction
The process of withholding reinforcers that maintain a behavior. This must be related to a behavior that was previously reinforced. For example, a dog has been talked to, given attention, and treats when it jumps in an effort to reduce the behavior, but all the dog knows is that it gets rewards.
Extinction burst
The phenomena of behavior temporarily or briefly getting worse, not better, when a previously rewarded behavior is not rewarded.
Spontaneous recovery
Behavior that is affected by extinction that recurs in the future when the trigger is presented again. A transient increase in behavior.
Criteria
Specific, trainer-defined responses wanted. The instant the dog achieves the criterion, it is rewarded.
Temporary criteria
The beginning steps of an exercise towards performing a command that is new to the dog.
Permanent criteria
The finished product, the final goal. Fluency.
Random reinforcement
Reinforcing the desired behavior in a random manner. Keeps the dog guessing and working for a reward. An example of this is people playing slot machines, not knowing if each time they will win, but still play regardless because of the few times they win.
Differential reinforcement
Rewarding only the best examples of the desired behavior.
